But with recent punishments levied against the Patriots and Tom Brady, one can't help but wonder if the deflated footballs incident adds another layer to an already complex situation for Carroll.

Here's what he had to say:

"No. No it didn't affect anything," Carroll said at a USC Hall of Fame induction ceremony over the weekend. "I think this was an opportunity for the league to step up and do the right thing. Nobody wants to play this game thinking that somebody has some kind of an advantage, players and fans alike, and so they did the right thing in following up on it, but you know, it was game time, it was ... it didn't have anything to do with that."

Of course, the investigation was already in full swing by the time Carroll and the Seahawks arrived in Arizona for Super Bowl week. There's no way the Patriots would have been brazen enough to try and doctor footballs with more eyes on them than ever.

However, it does add to an endless series of what-ifs Carroll may be enduring. What if Brady was suspended for the Super Bowl? What if the punishment included retroactive losses?

Poor Carroll already had enough on his plate, although it seems like he's ready to move on from talking about deflated footballs.